WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — An odd crash in practice involved some potential contenders to win Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. 

Going into turn one, something happened to Shane van Gisbergen as he kept going straight as he followed Sam Mayer over the curb. Mayer spun, then SVG ricocheted into Christian Eckes.

The crash didn’t deter SVG and Mayer from qualifying. They qualified second and fourth of 38 starters.

Photo courtesy of Kaulig Racing

However, Eckes was unable to turn a qualifying lap. Eckes will start 36th as he looks to get into the playoffs with a win or a miracle points run. Currently, he is 69 points below the cutline with just a few races left until the playoffs.

Facing a tough rookie Xfinity season, Eckes is set to run some races in Trucks where he dominated last season.

Meanwhile, Mayer is looking for two Xfinity wins in a row after winning at Iowa Speedway. SVG last won in Chicago and recently reached a multiyear extension of his Cup contract with Trackhouse Racing.

Photo: Ryan Kemna/TRE

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com